Finishing process.



R. T. TODD & R. B. BATTY.

FINISHING PROCESS.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 2, 1909.

Patented May 3, 1910.

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R. T. .TODD & R. B. BATTY.

FINISHING PROCESS. 7 APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1909.

Patented May 3, 1910.

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I By a 1 M42744! l ?Mw/ ATTORNE).

UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE,

ROBERT T. ToDD, or LAWRENCE, AND RICHARD B. BATTY, 0F METHUEN,

' MASSACHUSETTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT T. Tom) and RICHARD B. BATTY, both citizens of the United States, said ROBERT T. Tonn residing at Lawrence and said RICHARD B. BATTY residing at Methuen, both in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Finishing Processes, of-which the following is a-specification.

Our invention relates to processes for finishing cloth or other fabric made of wool fibers or of mixtures of wool and other fibers such as what is knownas woolen or worsted cloth. Its purpose is to straighten out the weave and to even up the design, to smooth out the cockles and wrinkles, and to set it, and especially to prepare it for dyeing. Our process combines the processes known as crabbing and steaming, and the machines by which our processes is performed also combine the two processes. With the machines by which our process is performed the process of crabbing and steaming is con-, tinuous and when'the fabric leaves the machine, it is ready for the subsequent process such as dyeing.

By our process, we set the goods after shrinking and give them a luster and permanent face finish which makes them smooth and kind to the feel. Every part of the cloth is treated exactly alike from the center to the selvage and from one endof the piece to the other. By our process, two men can perform as much work as eight by the old process, and the work. is more quickly done and the goods are in better condition for dyeing. Our process prevents watermarks and laying marks. It will also take out washer wrinkles better than any other process and will not affect the color. By changing the number of rolls or sets of rolls, the

' machines by which our process is performed can be arranged for different fabrics and by increasing ordecreasing'the flow of cold water in the cooling tank, variations in the temperature of the water and ,air can be counteracted.

In making use of our process, we take the dry cloth as it comesfro n the loom or other machine"- and pass it continuously under a slight tension through a series of tanks of boiling hot water and between these tanks we pass it over and between rolls under Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 2 1909.

. FINISHING PROCESS.

Patented May 3, 1910,

Serial No. 510,756. g

pressure. These rolls are arranged in series preferably over each tank and comprise a perforated hollow roll through which live steam is delivered and one or more smoothing rolls. The cloth while still wet and hot passes over and between these rolls and passes from the last of the series into a tank of cool or cold water stillunder some tension and thence is delivered in condition ready for a subsequent process such as dyemg.

WVe use as many tanks with cooperating rolls and we use as many rolls in each series as may be desirable for the particular cloth to be treated. From the .cooling tank it is desirable to deliver the cloth through any suitable folding means which will fold it evenly and smoothly onto a truck or box or other suitable receptacle. During our whole process, the cloth is kept under a greater or less tension. By our process the. clothis ready for use immediately upon delivery and the process of crabbing and steaming is combined and made continuous.

Our process may be performed by various machines, but we prefer to use the machines illustrated and -described herein which are the subject of a separate application for patent which is a division hereof and is pending herewith.

Our process may be performed by theme-- chines shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 shows a preferred form of ma; chine embodying our process, driving mechanism, pipes and other parts being broken away and certain parts being shown n section the better to show their construction and operation. Fig. 2 shows a different machine in which one steam roll and one smoothingroll are used. Fig. 3 is a front view of the construction shown in 1.

The cloth A to be treated is usua y delivered folded in a box wheeled truck B at pipes 10 and this water is carried away by suitable drain pipes 11. These drain pipes 11 leave the tanks at the height which it is desired that the hot water should maintain. In this case, the drain pipe 11 leaves the tank at a level above the lower part of roll G. we prefer to pass also along the bottom of each hot water tank, a steam heating pipe 12 which is perforated and delivers live steam under sufficient pressure into the 'water of the tank. This steam heating pipe insures that the water will be kept close to the boiling point all the time. We prefer to drive all the lower rolls G, G, through the shafts to which they are fixed, by means of bevel gears 21. These bevel gears 21 mesh with other bevel gears 22 carried by a driving shaft 23. This driving shaft 23 may be driven from any source of power in any usual manner as by the belt 2% and pullcy 25. In Figs. land 3, this pulley 25 is shown as carriedby the end of shaft 20 of one of the lower smoothing rolls G and the power is transmitted through this roll to the other rolls G through bevel gears 21 and 22 and shaft-s 23 and 20. The lower rolls G must be smooth on their curved surfaces and rest'infixed bearings. Above each lower roll, we place a steam roll H which is hollow and is carried by a hollow shaft 30. This shaft projects through its bearings and connects with the steam pipes 31, which deliver live steam at a pressure of 30 or ll) pounds therethrough to the roll H. This steam roll has steam tight heads and is perforated about its curved surface with holes 82 whereby the live steam will be forcibly driven out into contact with the cloth. We prefer to cover these steam rolls with burlap or other loosely woven textile material 44 whereby the steam will be thoroughly distributed.

To allow for any slight shrinking of the cloth as it passes from the feed end to the i: delivery end, we prefer to wind each successive steam roll with one less winding of burlap than the preceding roll. These rolls preferably rest in bearings 33 slidable vertically on ways 3% and are driven frictionally by contact with the cloth and with the lower driven rolls G. We also provide an upper smooth roll K, which rests in slidable bearings 35 in ways 34 and is frictionally driven by the steam roll. This roll should be quite heavy. In each of the hot water tanks, we provide a loose lower tank roll near the bottom thereof to guide the cloth in its passage through the tank and to insure its being thoroughly saturated. We also provide another loose roll 41 which insures it coming in contact with the lower smooth roll G under proper tension. From the feed truck B, we pass the cloth over a feed bar 13 supported by suitable brackets 14. From thence it passes over a. brass bar 15 which is preferably attached to the top of the first tank E. From the last pressure roll of the hot tank system, we pass the cloth down into a cold water tank F. This tank is fed continually with cold water or cool water through pipe 16 and the excess is carried away by a drain pipe 17 in a similar manner to the hot water tanks. We place a loose guide roll 42 at the bottom of this tank to guide the cloth therein and to keep it under tension. From this cold water tank, the cloth is conducted by delivery rolls TO and 71. to a folder M of any well known construction. By this folder, it is folded into the delivery truck L.

Instead of three rolls for each hot tank. we may use two rolls as shown in Fig. 2. In such case, the drain pipes from the hot water tanks 51 are placed lower down, so that the water level therein will be below the steam roll 52. This steam roll 52 is of the same construction as H, but is driven through one of its hol-low shafts 53 by a system of bevel gears 54, 55 and a shaft 56 similar to the first described construction.

This steam roll 52 should not touch the boil- 7 ing water. The guide rolls 57 and 58 in the hot water tanks are located somewhat differently so as to direct the cloth over the steam roll 52 in the proper direction as shown. The pressure roll 60 rests in bearings 61 vertically slidable in ways 62 and is driven frictionally by the steam roll. We may use adjusting or pressure screws 63 which bear on bearings 61 by which we can increase or decrease the pressure between the rolls 60 and 52. The cold water tank 64; and roll 65, water inlet 66, and outlet 67 are the same as in the construction shown in Fig. 1. The hot water inlet 68 is also the same as 10 and the perforated steam heater pipe 72 is the same as 12. Feed truck B,

bars 13 and 15-and delivery truck L are also the same as in Fig. 1. The cloth may be delivered however by driven delivery rolls 70 and 71 instead of by folding means M, and merely drops therefrom in natural folds into delivery truck L.

By the use of our process, kinks and folds, wrinkles, etc., are taken out and the cloth is shrunk and set so that when it is delivered, it is immediately ready for dyeing.

The upper rolls rest preferably in vertically slidable bearings and are. made heavy so that the cloth will be under pressure and under tension as it passes over the steam roll. Tt it not necessary .to drive any of the sets of rolls except the bottom one by means of gears, belts etc. as the cloth in setting produces a tension upon itself and assists in the frictional driving. Any other system of driving may be used and tanks of any other shape may be used.

The main feature of our process and of the machines by which the process is carried out is the passin of the cloth under some tension through boiling water, thence between a perforated hollow steam roll and one or more pressure rolls, repeating this a number of times and finally passing it through cold water to cool it, and thence delivering it without wrinkling.

What we claim as our invention and desire to cover by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of preparing cloth made partly of wool fiber for dyeing, which consists of passing it continuously under tension through boiling hot water, then subjecting it to the action of live steam and to pressure, repeating this a plurality of times and then passing it through cool water as described. a

2. The method of preparing cloth made of WOOl fiber for dyeing, which consists of passing it continuously under tension through boiling hot water, then subjecting it to the action of live steam and to rotary I pressure, repeating this a plurality of times, thence passing it'through cool water, then folding it as described.

3. The method of preparing fabrics of wool or worsted for dyeing, which consists of passing it continuously under tension through boiling hot Water, then saturating it with live steam and subjecting it to pressure, thence passing it through cool water as described.-

4. The method of preparing cloth made partly of wool fiber for dyeing, which consists of passing it continuously under tension through boiling hot water, then sub-' jecting it to the action of live steam and While so subjected passing it between pres sure rolls, repeating this a pluralit of times.

and thence passing it through coo water as described.

5. The method of preparing cloth made of wool fiber for dyeing, which consists of passing it continuously under tension through boiling hot water, subjecting it to the action of live steam and while so subjected passing it between pressure rolls, repeating this a plurality of times, thence passing it through cool water, and then folding it as described.

6. The method of preparing fabrics of wool or worsted for dyeing, which consists of passing it continuously under tension through boiling hot Water, then subjecting it to the action of live steam and while so subjected passing it between pressure rolls, thence passing. 1t through cool water as described.

In testimony whereof we, hereto afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT T. TODD. RICHARD B. BATTY.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES H. LORD, GARDNER A. PEARSON. 

